THE unusual point about the Wilkinsons' farm shop is that it's not on a farm. Instead, Katie's Kitchen is slap bang in the middle of Sedgefield, which makes it handy for people popping in for anything from an instant wholesome supper to a salad box for lunch, as well as for the long queue of well behaved school students waiting for freshly-made sandwiches and rolls.

Afternoon customers are likely to be enticed by the smell of baking. In quieter times, Liz Wilkinson makes her own cakes to sell. The cooker is behind the counter, making the whole shop a sort of extension of the farmhouse kitchen.

The Wilkinson's farm at Carrsides is a mainly dairy farm with some beef cattle. They'd thought about opening a shop on the farm and were weighing up the pros and cons when foot-and-mouth disease hit the region.

"If we'd had a shop on the farm, we would have had to close it. It made sense to be elsewhere," says Liz.

(The Katie the shop is named after is her daughter, oldest of her three children, "because it sounds better than Liz's kitchen,")

Liz had always done a lot of cooking as well as outside catering so the shop seemed an entirely logical idea.

It stocks a number of delicatessen ranges - oils, pastas, that sort of thing, but the main stock is very much farm-produced food, much of it local.

"That's the whole point of it. We pride ourselves on trying to secure local foods and farm produced foods from across the country."

They sell their own Aberdeen Angus X Beef, game and meat from other local farmers and also Balmoral Venison.

Best of all, their shelves are a mini farmers' market representing some of the best of local food with some of the familiar names we know and enjoy - Westgarths sausages, Just Puds puddings and vegetarian meals, Durham Honey, Rosebud Preserves from Masham, Raydale Preserves from Leyburn, Godfrey's ready meals from Shildon, Jenkins and Hustwit cakes from Bishop Auckland, Acorn cream and yoghurts, Doddingtons ice cream, Real Soup, Lanchester Apple Juice, free range eggs and a wonderful range of local meat, bacon and cheeses.

Sausages sizzle on the stove, ready for hot sandwiches. They make up salad boxes "very popular" and their own quiches and, as with Liz's baking, everyone can see what's being made. "I want people to see what we do, to know what they're getting."

It is proper food - so good that even the schoolkids have been tempted. And for those of us pushed for time or talent, much of it doesn't have to be cooked, just assembled. All the ease of supermarket food but with more taste, character and indviduality. Talk about the best of both worlds.

As well as good food, Liz also sells a selection of gifts, will make up presentation packs and hampers and also does outside catering.

No need to go down on the farm, the farm has come to you. And very good it tastes too.